So...my questions

Thanks very much for the explanation, Ericka. I thought it must be something like that, but just wanted verification to be sure. I'll be keeping that in mind for future projects that might involve delicate threads and hoops. At the moment, I am very happy using a scroll frame and sit-on-it stand to do cross stitch.

-- Carey

Carey N. wrote: > Dianne, excuse the quesiton, but what do you mean by "make sure the hoop is

In the U.S., the normal way is to bind the inner hoop. In Italy, they bind the outer hoop. For my tambour hoop, I bind both.

Binding is using strips of 100% cotton twill (the polyester twill sucks up dirt) or strips of cheap muslin. Wind (wrap) the stuff around either the inner or outer hoop and sew it in place. I can't readily find cotton twill so I use muslin strips. It's a fast job to wrap - cheap to replace when necessary.

This accomplishes a couple of things: 1. holds the hoops (thus your embroider fabric) tighter; 2. prevents soil from the hoop from getting on your pieces.

I haven't used plastic hoops since I was a young girl. I have some metal hoops around because every once in awhile someone tries to order one and can't find them . . . they remember them from their youth. I would test-drive either a plastic or metal hoop to see if it needs the addition of wrapping. If the hoop holds the fabric well without it, there's little danger of splinters or dirt/oils being transferred to the embroidery cloth.

Dianne

I put strips of muslin over the fabric as it lays over the bottom part of the q-snap and then placing the "snaps" over the muslin. Haven't had any problems with the stitches flattening out.

Donna in S. Indiana

but love watching the dancing! think I'll watch it tonight while stitching something new , what to stitch is up in the air still!

Donna in S. Indiana

"Lucille" had some very interesting things to say about Re: So...my questions:

In my case, both. :-)

I absolutely love that movie. Haven't watched it in quite sometime. Methinks it is time to dig it out and pop it in the old VCR.

Anne (> snipped

You better share, you little brat! :)

Oopsie. Mailed it all off this morning. :D

Make it a room for three. Ah, heck, make it a suite, because Fred's gonna join us.

Not a problem. The little brat lives a mile away, and I'll go over and wrestle some of it away from her if she doesn't share voluntarily! :)

Well, I have to admit. It's not all wonderful. Some of it has to have frogging done and some I've had since I was a teenager and some of it isn't in such good condition.

I just couldn't bear to throw it out, but I HAD to get rid of it a la Flylady because it was just burying me in GUILT GUILT GUILT for not having finished that or having wasted my time started this.

In any case, enjoy what you can!

LG

Karen C - California had some very interesting things to say about Re: So...my questions:

You know where I live :-).

"LizzieB." had some very interesting things to say about Re: So...my questions:

She lives, let's see, roughly 12 1/2 blocks away, in a city with decent transit. She'll find me. :-)

Maybe a coupla suites, since I'll be there, too! :)

Joan

Complete load of hooey. But you might want to test for dye-fastness before use. Then wash the finished piece as normal with Orvus. I stitched DT's "The Sanctuary" with the called-for NPInc silks--which appear to be completely colorfast, based on the ones I've tested-- and used QSnaps, which were not large enough to completely surround the entire project, and it's just fine. I also have done two birth samplers with a mix of silks and cottons, again using QSnaps, with no problems. Darla Sacred cows make great hamburgers. Picture Trail Gallery:

I predfer the symbols to be as simple as possible. Do not fill the entire block. Try to avoid using the same symbol in different colors. Try to avoid placing the mirror or turned version of a symbol adjacent to the original (don't use < near > or ^ or V, if possible). In this day and age, there's absolutely no good reason to produce a hand-drawn chart. Darla Sacred cows make great hamburgers. Picture Trail Gallery:

Use a frame instead of a hoop - this will avoid the nasty hoop marks which will only come out with washing.

It depends on the size of the design. No real need to grid for small designs, but invaluable for medium to large ones. Ude a running stitch with contrasting thread to mark ever tenth row both horizontally and vertically, and start to stitch so that this grid corresponds with the grid on your chart (if the chart is marked every 8th row, then, of course, you grid your fabric accordingly.

I find that if I snip the gridding threads as I come to them, it`s much easier than trying to remove them at the end.

It`s possible to buy pre-gridded Aida from Janet Edgar, but I can`t for the life of me remember the name of her company! Can anyone help, here? I should know it as she sends me a regular newsletter!

It depends on the design and I use both methods in the same design, depending on whether I`m doing a large area of one colour or dodging about with fairly scattered stitches. But then I`m certainly not into competition stitching, which may well make different demands!

Being naturally slapdash, I reason that once it`s framed, no-one`s going to look at the back in any case. I use loop starts because they`re neater. If that`s impossible I start the thread from the FRONT, laid so that the first two or three stitches will cover and hold it then snip the end once it`s caught. I use a similar method for casting off - lay the thread so it will be caught by the stitches I`m intending to do next, bring the needle up to the front and snip it close. If that isn`t possible I ru the needle through a few stitches on the back. My backs aren`t at all bad, come to think of it!

Silks are lovely to stitch with - but make sure that your hands are nice and smooth!

Pat P

Me too! As cheap as floss is compared to silks, etc. you would think I wouldn't do it. But I can't stand to just have "one stitch left"! in a color and not be able to finish it with the floss in my needle! Kim